The Colorado Springs doctor who was rescued by SEAL Team 6 in Afghanistan this month said Friday he has deep appreciation for the officer who was killed during the mission.

“My heart goes out to the family of the fallen hero for his service, commitment and courage,” Dr. Dilip Joseph said in a prepared statement. “He will remain a legacy for me and my family for generations to come.”

Joseph works with Morning Star Development, a Colorado Springs-based nonprofit founded in 2002, focused on economic and community development, primarily in Afghanistan. The organization is not a religious-missions organization but is faith-based, with Christians and Muslims on staff.

Joseph and two other Morning Star employees were abducted Dec. 5 by Taliban insurgents. The other two were released after successful negotiations. Military officers moved in when intelligence indicated Joseph’s life was in imminent danger.

Petty Officer 1st Class Nicolas D. Checque, 28,
died from combat-related injuries on the mission, the Defense Department said in a previous statement.

Checque, who was from the Pittsburgh area, was part of the elite SEAL Team 6 — the same group credited with killing Osama bin Laden in 2011. It remains unclear if he was part of that mission.

Joseph has made several trips to Afghanistan and said Friday he “will continue to pray and hope for its peace and long-term stability.”

Because of “ongoing security issues,” he said he will not be available for direct interviews, though he did say he has been in contact with the sailor’s family and will work on ways to honor his service.

“I … deeply value the sacrifice of one of their own servicemen for the success of this mission,” he said.

The Denver Art Museum plans to funnel a $25 million one-time gift into the estimated $150 million budget for renovating its iconic North Building in time for the structure’s 50th anniversary in 2021, officials announced Thursday.